


Buttercup

by gabby227



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, But only a little, Caroline Forbes & Stefan Salvatore Friendship, Caroline Forbes & Tyler Lockwood friendship - Freeform, Elena Gilbert & Damon Salvatore Friendship, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Minor Bonnie Bennett/Jeremy Gilbert, Minor Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-02-27 19:13:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2703317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabby227/pseuds/gabby227
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU/AH: After getting drunk and sleeping with her best friend, can Caroline and Damon salvage what's left of their friendship? Or will it be enough to split them apart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I realize that this will be my third WIP on here, but I'm working on all of them. My mind is crazy creative and I've got all kinds of stories I'm working on. I've got seven chapters of this already written and I'm working on more. This is in first person, Caroline's POV, and I know a lot of people don't care for first person, but I'd be extremely happy if you gave this a chance.

Damon Salvatore is my best friend.

I know what you're thinking. Why not Bonnie or Elena? They are my age, they are practically my sisters, and they are girls. Well, for one, Bonnie can be judgmental and Elena can be a bitch. And I'm not saying that because they aren't here to defend themselves - no, I'd tell them that to their face. In fact, I have said it to them before. They get pissed off for a while, but then we get along for a while. They are practically my sisters - after Elena's parents died and Bonnie's mom abandoned her, my mom became somewhat of a surrogate mother to the both of them. Really, my whole group of friends - Damon, Elena, Bonnie, Damon's brother Stefan, Tyler Lockwood, Matt Donovan and me - we grew up together. I've known them all since we were in diapers. Damon's two years older than the rest of us, but he and I always really clicked. We've been practically attached at the hip since we were young. My parents and Damon's dad, Guiseppe, always joked about us growing up and falling in love, but Damon's my best friend. It'd be weird for us to be together.

That's why I wasn't surprised to see Damon sitting in my living room that Saturday morning. He was reading the newspaper and without looking up he said, "Good morning, Buttercup."

Ugh. That stupid nickname. Damon has called me Buttercup ever since he was seven and I was five. Even as a little boy, Damon was charming, and he told me my hair looked like the color of the flower. I even made the mistake of telling fourteen-year-old Damon that I hated the nickname and didn't want him to call me that anymore, but he was fourteen, and did it to annoy me. Now, though, ten years later, it doesn't bother me that much.

"What are you doing here, Damon? And how did you get in?"

He shrugged and put the newspaper down, "Tyler let me in. He was on his way out."

Tyler Lockwood is my roommate - and just my roommate. He is going to law school right now and he asked me if I wanted to move in with him as his roommate to save some money on rent. Tyler and I are good friends. I dated Matt in high school, who was Tyler's best friend, and he and I just kinda clicked - but not the way that Damon and I do. He's good company and he is a really good guy. He hasn't always been, but he's changed since high school. He went through some really deep shit in junior year with his father's death, and he's become a better man since then. When Matt and I broke up in senior year, Tyler and I remained friends.

"Isn't it a little early for you to be here, Damon?" I ask him, going into the kitchen. He followed me.

I got out a carton of eggs and proceeded to make myself some breakfast. Damon just watched me for a moment.

"I'm up early because I need to ask you a favor and I wanted to catch you before you go to work," he said. I work at a daycare, from nine to four everyday but Sunday. It makes me busy, but I love it. I love working with kids and I want tons of them when I finally get married and settle down.

Getting my scrambled eggs out of the pan, I watch him for a moment before sitting down at the kitchen island counter and start to eat. I am waiting for him to ask.

"Father is having a big party tonight at the country club. He wants to celebrate Stefan and Elena's engagement."

I roll my eyes, "Stefan and Elena have been engaged for over a year."

"I know. They're getting married in a couple of months, and Elena's even pregnant, but Father insists. He also insists I bring a date. He keeps going on and on about how his almost twenty-seven year old son is still single and playing the field, while his younger son is getting married and about to be a father. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of hearing about it, so I wanted to know if you'd go with me just to shut the old man up."

"Yeah, but Damon, everybody knows that we're friends. I mean, hell, you call my parents Mom and Dad."

"I know. But I was thinking of telling Father a little white lie - that we've been seeing each other in secret and don't want anybody to know about it. I mean, we'd have to kiss and stuff, but I'm okay with it if you are."

"You know I'd do anything for you, Damon, but I don't know about this..." my voice trailed off.

"C'mon, Caroline, please? I'm not too proud to beg," he said, making a face. I knew he was serious because that's the only time he uses my given name. "It's just to put one over on my father. I'll repay you any way you want, just please do this for me."

The dilemma wasn't because Damon wanted to fool Guiseppe. No, his father was an ass. After Damon's mother died of cancer when he was eight, Stefan became Guiseppe's favorite. He would do anything for Stefan - he was the golden boy. And when they became teenagers, Guiseppe seemed to love Stefan more because he did what his father wanted. Stefan studied hard, played football, went steady with Elena practically his whole life. Damon played the field, was an incredible ladies' man, and did what he just had to to get by. It didn't help that Damon works as a bartender at the local hangout, the Mystic Grill. He's worked there since he turned eighteen and loves bartending. And I know for a fact that a lot of the fights that happen between Guiseppe and Damon just happen to be about me. I've walked in on enough of them. Guiseppe doesn't believe that a man and a woman can be close friends like Damon and me without something romantic going on.

I sigh deeply, running a hand through my hair. I know that I'm going to give in, and I bet Damon does too, by the way he's looking at me. Finally, after a few moments of silence, I say, "Okay, I'll do it. What time?"

He broke out into a huge grin. "It's at seven. I'll come by around five to help you get ready."

"I know how to dress myself, Salvatore."

"Yeah, I know, but my girlfriend has to be hot, Buttercup," he says to me and I sigh. This is a losing battle. I watch him for a moment before glancing at the clock. It's after eight thirty now and I have to get going.

"Look, Damon, I've gotta run. You can let yourself out, yes?"

He nodded as I grabbed my car keys and bag as I left. As I drove to work, I couldn't help this nagging feeling that whatever was happening with Damon right now was a very bad idea. I honestly wish I had known just how bad of one it really was.

-x-

I got home a quarter after four, and when I walked through the front door, Tyler and Damon were sitting on the couch, each of them with a beer in their hand, and they were laughing about something. Now, this picture is a weird one. Tyler and Damon hate each other, and have for a long time. Damon has picked many a fight with Tyler's uncle Mason Lockwood and the animosity between Tyler and Damon has always been there. So this picture was a bit strange.

"It's only a quarter past four, Damon," I say to him as I set my bag down on the table closest to me. "You said you wouldn't be here until five. I need time for a shower and stuff."

"Relax, Buttercup," Damon says, and Tyler smirks at me.

"Yeah, relax, Buttercup," Tyler says with a smile. I shoot him a dirty look and then tell Tyler, "Only Damon is allowed to call me that."

"Just because you can't stop him," Tyler says, and I roll my eyes.

"Go shower," Damon said, interrupting the not-quite-a-fight between me and Tyler, "I'll still be here when you get out."

"Thanks for your permission," I mumbled as I leave the room.

The hot water feels absolutely divine and I have to scrub a little harder on my hands where one of the kids, Jimmy, kind of attacked me with a glitter glue pen. As I told Daphne, my boss, I'm taking a note here and now. Four year old should not have access to glitter glue. I take the time in the shower to hope and pray that tonight goes okay. I remember in seventh grade, when it became knowledge that Stefan had a crush on Elena. I knew before practically everybody, though, because Damon tells me everything. They had been such good friends up to that point and I always thought that being lovers with someone who had been a close friend your entire life would be weird, but Elena adjusted quite quickly. I always wondered how that couldn't be not weird for her. I also remember wondering how she could make the transition from friend to lover so easily. I won't lie - sometimes I wonder if Damon and I could ever be that, but it's just me wondering most of the time. I don't see him romantically, and that's one of the reasons I'm so worried right now. If I don't see Damon romantically, how the hell am I supposed to pull this off tonight?

After about twenty minutes, I get out of the shower and dry myself off. Wrapped up in an oversized towel, I go into my room and see Damon in the middle of my bed.

"What the hell, Salvatore?" I ask him.

"What?"

"I can get dressed by myself, you know," I say, going to my dresser and getting out a lavender bra and panties set. I slip the panties on under my towel so I'm not showing anything and turn out so I can put the bra on. I don't have any modesty when it comes to Damon; he's seen me in my bra and panties several times, just like I've seen him in his boxers. He's my friend; it's purely platonic.

"I just want to make sure you look good." He gets up and goes over to my closet. He pulls a tight, short, sleeveless crimson dress out of my closet and gives me a look, "You wear this?"

I shrug, "Sometimes. i bought it a couple of years ago to go clubbing with Bonnie and Elena."

He's giving me a look that I don't recognize, but after a couple of minutes, he snaps himself out of it, "Wear this." He hands me the dress.

"Salvatore, we've been over this already," I say, pulling the dress on. "I'm your _pretend_ girlfriend, just for tonight only, remember? We may be trying to fool the old man, but that's all this is, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I don't like you like that, so you don't have to worry."

I shrug, pull a pair of black heels out of my shoe rack, and then do a model spin for him, "How do I look?"

"Hot," is his answer.

"Great," I say before going in to the bathroom to curl my hair and apply my makeup. He follows me in there and hops up on the bathroom counter.

"We should probably concoct a story to tell him," Damon says as I start to apply my makeup. "I mean, for all he knows, we're still just friends."

I shrug, "What do you want to tell him?"

He thinks for a moment before saying, "Well, we've been friends for a long time. Maybe we wanted to explore the possibility of being...something more?"

"When's the last time you brought a bimbo home, Damon?" I ask. "He usually knows about your conquests, and that would be a bad thing."

"It's been more than a week. I may be a ladies' man, but I'm thinking about settling down. You know, just date one girl for a while."

"That's good," I say, "because it'll make our story more believable." I start to apply eyeliner, but gasp loudly as another thought occurred to me. He looked at me, worried, "What's wrong?"

"You know what I just thought of?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "You're usually more, um, _handsy_ with the girls you're with. Are you sure we should do this, Damon? I mean, you know how much I adore being pawed at," I said sarcastically. He laughed.

"You're a cop's daughter, Buttercup, and Mom has trained you well. Especially with the karate you've been studying since you were old enough to walk and the fact that you know how to break an arm without even breaking a sweat. Don't worry about that. I won't touch you if you don't want me to."

"You're just afraid of your girlfriend putting you in your place, Salvatore."

He shrugged, "Sure. You caught me." I just laughed.

-x-

I've been to enough of these country club parties to know that I absolutely hate them. Unlike my family, the Salvatores have money. They can afford the good things in life. Not having a lot of money has never bothered me. Even with Damon as my best friend, it doesn't really faze me. But as I'm walking into the country club tonight, my arm linked through Damon's, I feel...out of place. I don't belong there. I really shouldn't have come; I doubt that we'll be able to pull this off at all. Damon looks at me with a look on his face. He knows that I'm tensing up and he pulls me aside.

"Relax, Buttercup," he says to me, taking my face in his hands. At first I thought it'd be weird, but in actuality, it feels...oddly right. "You're overthinking things. Don't think. You're my best friend and you know that I love you more than anybody else in my life."

I smiled, "I love you too, Damon," We've exchanged I-love-you's before; he's my best friend and I _do_ love him. It's a different kind of feeling than _in love_ , which we are definitely not. I smile slightly and then tense up as I see Guiseppe Salvatore approaching us. Damon leans down to whisper in my ear, "Relax, Caroline. We can do this."

"Father," Damon greets Guiseppe as he grabs my hand. I take a deep breath; it's show time.

"Damon," Guiseppe nods. He looks at me, "Evening, Ms. Forbes."

I smile in response.

"It's good to see you two. So, Son, where's your date?"

"You're looking at her," Damon responds. I hear Guiseppe sigh, and I know that he's not happy.

"I ask you to bring a date, not your best friend."

"She's my date, Father. Caroline and I have been dating in secret for a while. We don't want anybody to know, so do you think you could keep it to yourself for a while?"

Guiseppe scoffed, "Yeah, I really don't believe that."

Without really knowing what Damon's about to do, he leans down and covers my lips with his. It feels so different; his lips so warm, so inviting, and for a moment I get lost in the kiss. It's so good that I forgot where I was, or the fact that I was around practically fifty people, or even the fact that I was kissing my best friend - someone I've known ever since I can remember, someone that was in my earliest memory. I just knew the fact that I really am enjoying this right now and I throw my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. Time just seemed to stop until I heard Guiseppe clear his throat. I broke away from Damon, wiping my mouth, and Guiseppe just looked at us.

"It appears as though I was mistaken," he said, and I thought I saw Damon smirk. "Why don't you go find Elena and Stefan? I'm sure they'll want to talk to you."

As Guiseppe turned and left, I looked at Damon. This whole damn thing was awkward. I wasn't sure what to say to him, so I just shook my head and walked away. I saw Elena and Stefan over in the corner, keeping to themselves, so I went over to where they were and sat down beside Elena.

"You look beautiful tonight, 'Lena," I say to her. She was just showing now, being three months pregnant, and was wearing a deep purple dress that had a flowy skirt.

"I look fat," Elena complained. "You're just saying that because you're biased."

"She's just a little emotional today," Stefan said from beside her. Elena glared at him.

"Tonight's supposed to be a happy occasion," I say to them, trying to avoid a fight. Sometimes I really hate how moody and bitchy Elena can be, even though she and I are pretty close. "So be happy."

"What was that over there with Damon that I saw?" Elena said, changing the subject. "Were you and Damon _kissing_?"

Stefan watched me for a moment before I sighed and nodded, "Yes, but it's not what you think. We're not together. It's just an act."

"Ah," Stefan said. "To fool Father, huh? To get him to leave Damon alone?"

"Don't say that too loud, brother," Damon popped up behind me. He handed me a glass of champagne, and I gladly accepted, taking a sip. "Don't want anybody to overhear you."

-x-

I have no idea how much I had to drink that night, but i know that Damon was probably up there as well. In fact, he's no lightweight, so for him to actually get drunk, it takes a pretty fucking lot. At the end of the night, I called a taxi and he insisted to see me home, as the gentleman he was (most of the time). We got to my apartment and with me being incapacitated, and not quite in control of myself, I opened my front door and then I leaned in and kissed him. Later, I would blame it on being so damn drunk, but right now, it's what I want. It had been over a year since I had had sex - or any real contact like that - and, to be honest, Damon is really hot. Even I can see that, even though I'd only seen him as a brother. But as he's pushing me up against the wall and thoroughly kissing me, that thought is escaping me. I kiss him back with just as much enthusiasm, and while he's pushing me up against the wall, he grinds into me. The friction is delicious and I want - no I _need_ more. My tongue makes its way into his mouth and our tongues dance together. I break the kiss so I can breathe and he's at my neck, nuzzling, kissing and nipping at it. It feels wonderful and then he's picking me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to my bedroom. He sits on the bed so I'm straddling his hips, and the kissing continues. His lips are so warm, so soft, and I seriously could do this forever.

I start to unbutton his shirt, wanting to take this further, and he shrugs it off and it lands on the floor. I run my hands up and down his chest - God, his skin feels so wonderful to me. I kiss my way down his jaw, down his neck and he groans. The noise just turns me on even more and before I know it, he's lifting my dress up off me. I shift a little so he can get it off and he just smirks at me. The making out continues as our clothes are strewn all over my bedroom floor and he lays down as I line him up with my center. I need him _now_ , and without warning I sink down on him. I start riding him in earnest, and he grabs my hips, gripping them so hard that I might have a bruise when he's finished. I throw my head back, reveling in the feeling of him filling me up, and he starts thrusting up into me. I am close, I can feel my orgasm approaching, and I think Damon can feel it, too. He reaches down and rubs my clit in slow circles and I moan loudly - if I wasn't so drunk right now, I'd probably be embarrassed about how loud it was. He starts rubbing me off harder and faster, and I shudder as I come around him. He follows not long after, shooting his load into me. I sigh as my heartbeat starts to slow and I fall of of him and into the bed.

When my alarm goes off the next morning, I groan, and, as I reach over to turn it off, I bump into a warm body. A warm body, naked in my bed. I blink a few times, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes, and then I look over to see who it was - and I freeze. Damon. Everything that happened last night comes flooding back and I groan. I had sex with my totally platonic, very best friend. And I'm totally and utterly fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the shortness of the chapter, but a bigger one is coming up. This is mostly plot.

At eight o'clock the next morning, I was staring at myself in the mirror, and that's when I noticed them. I had hickeys on my neck - about two or three of them, a deep purple, like bruises. They weren't very big, and I could cover them up with makeup, but the fact was that they were there. I put my hair up in a messy bun, not wanting to mess with anything extensive that morning - I was severely hung over and here I was, going to spend the day with ten rowdy kids. I put on a little makeup and covered up the hickeys with some concealer, and grabbed a package of pop tarts out of the pantry as I left. I tried really hard not to think about what happened last night on my drive over, and when the kids ambushed me at the door, it was all forgotten.

I was reading a story to the younger kids while the older kids colored when Daphne tapped me on the shoulder. "Someone's here for you, Care," she said seriously. "Says he wants to talk to his buttercup."

I rolled my eyes and then told the kids, "Miss Daphne will finish this. I've got to go talk to someone." She took the book and I went out into the front to talk to Damon.

"Hey," he said to me when I got there, hands in his pockets. "So...we kind of need to talk."

I nodded; boy, did we ever.

"Follow me," I said to him, and he followed me into the break room that Daphne and I shared.

We just kind of stared at each other for a few silent moments before Damon opened his mouth..

"Last night shouldn't have happened," he said quietly. "I put you in an uncomfortable situation and you had too much to drink. I even had too much to drink and we let our impulses get a hold of us. I'm sorry it happened. You think that maybe we can find a way to put it behind us?"

I sighed, "Yeah, I think so. You're my very best friend, Damon, and I love you. I'm not going to stop talking to you because we fell into bed together."

"I love you more than anyone else in my life, Caroline. I just want to make sure that things won't get uncomfortable between us."

I nodded, "They won't. I promise."

-x-

Damon and I haven't talked for almost three weeks. That may not sound like much, but with me and Damon, it's forever. I knew that night we had together messed with our friendship - it had to. I was a little more than pissed at myself, because this was mostly my fault. I knew I had to go talk to Damon, to see what was wrong and why he hasn't been around for me lately, but I just couldn't. I won't bullshit - I was fucking scared. Our friendship was very important to me, and here I was, not talking to Damon. We fucked up, and I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed from here.

Luckily, I didn't really have an option. I woke up the next Sunday morning and went into the living room and saw Elena and Bonnie sitting with Tyler, chatting, and I knew right then I was fucked.

"Hey, Care," Elena said softly. She knew something - the way that she was looking at me was a good indication of that.

"What're you guys doing here?" I asked. I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms in front of me.

"You know, the funny thing is that Damon hasn't been out of the apartment in three weeks, other than to go to work. And surprise, surprise, neither have you. Something had to happen between you two," Elena said, and I sighed.

"Maybe it did," I said, not really wanting to talk about it, but part of me was thanking God that someone was bringing it up. I've really wanted to talk to someone about the clusterfuck of feelings I had been getting since that night.

"Damon and I are having marital problems," I try joking, but Elena, Bonnie, and even Tyler are giving me serious looks. "Look, I fucked up, okay? I went to that engagement party with Damon because he begged me to go and fool his dad about us. But then we both got smashed - I mean, totally wasted - and we, uh..." my voice trailed off.

"You guys fucked, didn't you?" Elena asked. She looks at Bonnie, "I totally fucking called it."

"What are you talking about?" I ask her.

"The two of you have been dancing around each other for years. Even a blind man could tell how badly you wanted each other."

"It's not like that," I start to protest, but before I could continue, my stomach turned and I just made it to the bathroom before I expelled everything. I groaned, brushing my teeth to get the nasty taste out of my mouth, and then went back to them. Elena gave me a knowing look.

"It's just a stomach bug," I say, and even though Elena's giving me that special look that says I'm full of bullshit, I try my best to ignore her. I've been puking nonstop for the last week and I'd been tired, so I figured that was what was going on. I went into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Thank God you made coffee," I say to Tyler, and he just watches me.

"Look, Damon and I slept together. And you know what? I fucking loved it. I was drunk, he was drunk, and we both wanted it. It means nothing, though. We can still be friends."

"Is that why you're avoiding him, and he's avoiding everybody else?" Elena asked, with an eyebrow raised. "Because that's what the two of you are doing."

I shake my head, "It's nothing, 'Lena. I'll go and see him and everything else will be fine."

-x-

Three weeks later, Damon and I still haven't talked, and what's worse is that my stomach bug still isn't gone. I'm still puking and I feel bloated. Not to mention, I've been craving some weird shit lately. Tyler made fun of me for that, and then suggested I go to the doctor. So I took the day off that Tuesday and went and saw her.

When she tells me, "Congratulations, you're pregnant," it takes me off guard a little. Pregnant? Not only did Damon and I fuck up our friendship by sleeping together, but now we're going to be connected for life - with a baby. The funny part about all this is the fact that I'm not freaking out because I'm pregnant - I love kids and knew it would happen eventually - but I was freaking out about whose kid I was having. How the hell was I going to tell Damon? Things had been pretty rocky between us these past six weeks and I wasn't sure about how he was going to take this. I can feel myself start to panic, so I take a few deep breaths and try to calm myself down.

_  
This is stupid_ , I thought to myself. _I know Damon better than I know myself sometimes_. Which was true. Damon and I have been friends for years. Most of the time I know him better than he does. But things were changing, and I've never been the biggest fan of change.

I know I've zoned out, but the doctor snaps her fingers in front of my face, "Caroline?"

I shake the thoughts out of my head, "Sorry."

She goes on to prescribe me prenatal vitamins and talk about checkups and such. By the time I'm out of there, it's almost three, and going to work would just be a waste; I'd only be there for an hour. So I go home. I go home, change into a pair of flannel pants and a t-shirt that I stole from Damon years ago, crawl into my bed and just go to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know absolutely nothing about being pregnant. I've never been and we're not even sure that I can even be, so everything about Caroline's pregnancy is things I've picked up by talking to friends & relatives who've been pregnant and reading things on the Internet. I'm not 100% sure what's true, sine every website I go to says something different, so I'm kind of just making most of it up as I go.

I wake up around six, and the first thing I do is call Stefan. I know that Elena will hear the news eventually, because she and Stefan have the kind of relationship where they tell each other _everything_ , but I need to know what to do right now. He answered on the second ring.

"Care, hi," he says out of breath. "You're lucky you caught me, my shift starts in a few minutes. What's up?"

Stefan is going to medical school. He's wanted to be a doctor for I don't know how long - definitely since we were kids. On top of that, he volunteers at the local hospital. He wants to be a pediatrician, so he loves working with kids. It means his schedule is busy, but he still makes time for the important things.

I sigh and start to tell him about my predicament. He says "uh huh" and "yeah I understand" at appropriate intervals, so I know that he's paying attention. When I finish there's a moment of silence.

"You want my advice?" he asks me.

"I called you, didn't I?" I retort.

"Here's what you do. Call Damon. Hell, he's working tonight, so go and see him. He needs to know about this."

"I guess he does, but I'm scared, Stefan."

"Look, Damon values family over everything else. You know that. Just because he and Father have their differences, it doesn't mean he's not going to want to raise this child with you. And he loves you, Care."

"Yeah, he's my best friend."

"And as your best friend, Damon's not going to abandon you. But this, Damon's gonna want to know. Just trust me, okay?"

"I don't know about that, Stef," I say. "He's been hopping from bimbo to bimbo since he entered junior high. Having a kid is just going to tie him down."

"Damon values family over everything else," Stefan repeats. "I think the reason you're so hesitant about this is because you don't want to be tied to Damon this way. Am I right?"

"Stefan," I sigh, "we never should have been in this predicament. We both had too much to drink, and I know that's an excuse - hell, I know that better than anyone else, you made your bed now lie in it kind of thing. This should've never happened. I'm never going to have him back the way I want him."

"And how exactly _do_ you want him, Care?"

"As my friend. I want back the boy I caught tadpoles with when I was six, the boy who taught me how to throw a baseball and then took the heat for me when it broke old man McMillan's window. The boy who taught me to break a boy's arm when he was trying to get fresh with me on a first date. The guy who dared me to prank Mr. Saltzman's history classroom with mousetraps and then took the blame for it when Mr. Saltzman threw a fit. I want back the boy who, when I had my first date with Matt back in high school, who congratulated me and then handed me a box of condoms."

There's a silence and I can feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. I take a breath and then said, "Hey, Stef, are you there?"

"Look, Care," he said after a long minute, "Damon and you have been best friends for twenty plus years. He loves you, y'know? I know you love him, too."

"As a _friend_ ," I say, stressing the 'friend' part of the sentence. "There can be nothing more to it."

"So, you don't want anything more from him? At all?"

I licked my bottom lip, more out of habit than anything else, and then said, "Even if I did, Stef, it would fuck everything up."

"Things aren't exactly going as planned at the moment anyway, wouldn't you agree?"

"Okay, point," I mumble.

"Go and see Damon at work, Care. He'd already be there, his shift started at six."

I nod even though I known he can't see me, "Okay. Thanks, Stef."

"No problem, Care. Go see him." There's a pause. "Just remember that he's just as vulnerable as you are raight now."

I'm not exactly sure what that means, but we say our goodbyes and hang up. Sighing to myself, I dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that I stole from Damon forever ago, grab my car keys and leave the apartment, locking the door behind me. When I get to the Grill, I see Damon in a booth, eating a cheeseburger. I slide into the opposite side of the booth and he looks at me.

"Hey," he said softly. "Haven't talked to you in a while. How are you?"

"Good. There's actually something I need to tel you -" I start, but he cuts me off.

"Look, I'm sorry about not talking to you for a while. I needed space. I can't undo what happened between us, but I can be your friend again. You mean the world to me, Buttercup."

I nod, "Look, Damon, there's something we've gotta talk about."

He looks up, "What's that?"

I'm not sure how to proceed from here. I don't know exactly what to say. It's true; I have no romantic feelings towards Damon. _But_ , a voice inside me says, _if you didn't, you wouldn't be in this predicament to begin with_. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, I didn't have to actually say anything, because Elena comes over and hugs me. She's bursting with happiness, even I can tell, and she blurts out, "This is awesome, Care! Our kids are only going to be a few months apart, and they're gonna be cousins!"

I clear my throat and look at her, "I, uh, I haven't told anyone yet. Did Stefan really get to you that fast?"

She nods, "And I'm really fucking excited about this! I mean, I'm pretty sure that part of it is just the pregnancy hormones, but seriously, this is fucking awesome."

Damon looks at me, a clueless look on his face, when I turn to Elena, "I've really got to talk to Damon. How about you go find something to do?"

Elena nods, "Oh. Right, sorry. Congratulations, you guys."

She leaves and Damon cocks an eyebrow, "So, what's going on?"

"I'm pregnant, Damon," I say, my voice cracking just a little. "It's yours; you're the only person I've slept with in the past year. Look, I'd understand if you don't want it. I'm keeping the baby, though, and we can just tell it you're it's uncle or something..." My voice trails off. "I'm really sorry this happened, though, but things _can_ go back to normal. They have to, for my sanity."

He's just staring at me. I don't know what to do at this point, and I don't know what else to say. I sigh as I wait for his response.

After staring at me for a good two minutes, Damon finally opens his mouth, "I'm going to be a dad?"

I just nod.

"Caroline, I need to be a part of this kid's life. I want to be his dad. I want to be there for you, and for him. Please don't shut me out."

Part of my heart breaks. He sounds so desperate, and he thinks that I'm not going to let him in. I don't even know how he got the idea, but I nod, "Okay. I just thought that having a kid would bog you down."

"I want it," he says, taking the last bite of his burger. "I want it more than anything."

My words are caught in my throat, so I just nod.

"Let me take you on a proper date," he says, and it takes me by surprise. "We can grab dinner tomorrow. Or, hell, we can have takeout and a movie. I don't really care."

I'm still not one 100% sure that this is going to work out, but I figured I might as well try. I surprise myself by nodding, "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Great." He looks at the clock on the wall, "I've gotta start my shift. How about you call me later and we can sort out the rest of the details?"

I nod. He gets up, leans over and kisses my cheek, smiles, and then he's gone.

-x-

When I get home, I call Daphne. Not only is she my boss; she's also my friend. I know that she's going to understand, because Daphne has a four year old that she's raising by herself. The good thing is that Stephanie can be at daycare with us and she fits in well with the other children.

I explain my predicament and Daphne listens. She gives me the rest of the week off, telling me that her friend Aubrey will fill in for me. I'm okay with that, honestly. If I'm this fucking tired at four weeks pregnant, how the hell am I going to feel further down the road, at nine months?

"So," Tyler says after I hang up with Daphne, startling me a little. I didn't even know he was in the apartment. "Another little Salvatore running around, huh?"

I just shrug.

He holds his hands up, "Hey, I'm fine with it. Damon and I have made peace. I'm just surprised you didn't tell me before."

I shrugged again, "You were gone when I came home from the doctor's today, and I had to go and see Damon."

He takes a seat on the couch next to me, "So, what happened to Damon just being a platonic friend?"

I snort, "I don't fucking know, Ty. Something's changed. Damon's my best friend. I don't have romantic feelings for him - I _don't_. But I practically jumped into bed with my best friend, and I'm not exactly sure what to do. And then he asked me out tomorrow and I said yes. Why the hell did I say yes?"

"You know, Care," Tyler says, watching me carefully, "I think you have romantic feelings for him. I think you're just denying them because a) you can't see them, b) you're in denial, or c) you're afraid to try. You've been kind of gun shy around romantic relationships since you and Matt broke up."

"Pssht," I said, waving him off, "Matt and I are still friends. There's nothing wrong between us."

"When's the last time you had a relationship, Care?" Tyler asks. I open my mouth to answer him, but then he adds, "And I mean an actual relationship. Not a fuck buddy."

I lick my lips absentmindedly, "Uh, well...I guess it was Matt."

Tyler gives me a knowing look.

I roll my eyes, "So maybe it's been a while. But I don't think that matters right now. Matt and I didn't fit. It became apparent after junior year. We both had different plans for the future."

"Personally, I think you fit better with Damon than you ever have with anyone else," Tyler says, and that actually means something to me.

"Have I crossed over into the twilight zone?" I ask him, and he just laughs.

"How about we order some dinner? Chinese okay?" He asks, digging his cell phone out of his pocket. I nod, "Yeah, get me some chicken lo mein. And don't forget the crab rangoons!"

-x-

When I call Damon later that night, he's on his break, but I can hear the sounds clearly over the phone. Even for a Tuesday night, the Grill is pretty busy. The Grill is usually pretty low-key; they get their drunken disorderly people, but it's rare. The only reason that I know that, too, is the fact that Mom's the sheriff. She doesn't exactly overshare, but I've heard my share just growing up in her house.

"I've got the rest of the week off," I tell him as I lay in bed that night. It's a little after ten, and I know Damon's working until the bar closes at three. "Daphne wants me to get adjusted to the fact that I need to eat enough for two and get that much more rest."

"It's a good idea, Buttercup," he says to me. "You run yourself ragged."

"Not you, too," I groan. "Seriously, I can take care of myself. I've been taking care of myself for years."

"I'm allowed to worry about you now, Buttercup. Not only are you my best friend, but you're carrying my baby. I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"Everything's going to be fine. You even have a spy now," I say. "Tyler's been watching me like a hawk."

"We're worried about you, Buttercup. When it was just you, your schedule was no problem. You barely ate and you barely slept. You were on the go all the time. I get that was the way you did things, but things are different now. And I hope you know that Bonnie and Elena are going to be attached to you at the hip."

I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me, "I don't know, D," I say. "I mean, Elena's got problems of her own. She's now four months pregnant, and I hear that the pregnancy hormones are a bitch."

"And just think," he says, laughing. "That'll be you in a few months."

"You suck. Seriously, you're the worst person I know."

I could practically hear his smirk over the phone when he said, "I'm taking that as a compliment."

"Hey, D?" I ask. I hear his "hmm?" across the line so I continue, "We're going to need to tell our parents."

"Mom and Dad, I have no problem with that. They love me."

"Yeah, I know. Of course, you sucking up to Mom, bringing her lunch at the station and working on her car is mainly the reason. Mostly I'm worried about how Dad'll react. Remember, just a month and a half ago, we were only best friends, and now we're having a child."

"They love me," Damon repeated. "You're worrying too much."

"What about Guiseppe?" I ask. There's silence on the other side. "Damon?" I ask, making sure he's still with me.

"Don't be surprised if he tries to push us into marriage, Caroline," Damon says, and I know it's serious. Not only did he call me by my given name, but he's talking about his dad - that's always a serious subject for him.

"Hey," I say softly, wishing that he was here with me so I could touch him. Damon tends to respond to little touches, for comfort. I shrug the thought off as I continue, "your dad isn't going to make me do _anything_. Not even my own parents can order me around. No matter what, I'm going to be here, okay? I love you, D, and nothing's ever going to change that."

For a brief moments, there's silence and then Damon says, "I've gotta go. My break's over. How about I bring dinner over tomorrow night, around six, and we can watch a movie or something?"

I'm missing something. I can tell something is definitely going on in Damon's mind, but he's not going to let me know what it is. I feel something emotional in my chest, but I push the feeling aside.

"Okay," I say weakly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Damon."


	4. Chapter 4

I burst into the apartment that Elena shares with Stefan and Damon the next day, looking for Damon. Elena just looks at me.

"Hey Care," she says, a spoonful of frosted flakes halfway to her mouth. She takes her bite, swallows, and then says, "What's up?"

"Is Damon here? I've got to talk to him."

She shook her head slowly, "He's out with Stefan. I have no idea what they're doing, some brother bonding stuff or whatever. Is something wrong?"

"I was on the phone with him last night, and he got weird. It's been on my mind."

"Well, tell me what happened."

So I sat down beside her at the kitchen table as she continued to eat her cereal and then a banana. I told her everything and she got a look on her face.

"Seriously!" I yell, not at anyone particular, but just showing my frustration. "What the hell do you guys know that I don't?"

"It's not a big deal, Care," Elena says. "It's just that...well, Damon kind of has a thing for you."

"Kind of a thing? What kind of a thing?"

"He likes you, Care."

"Well, sure. He's my best friend. I like him, too."

"Not like that. He likes you, as in romantically. He's interested in you."

I laughed, "Oh come on, Elena. Damon knows everything about me - even every little dirty secret I have. I've known him forever - since I was born. Besides, he's got girls throwing themselves at him all the fucking time. Why would he want me?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Elena says, standing up. "Do you think he'd call just anyone Buttercup? It's you, because he likes you. It's your own special nickname, reserved for you particularly. And it's reserved for him to call you that. I know about how mad you get whenever someone else calls you that."

"That's because only Damon gets to call me that," I say. I don't understand where she's going with this.

"He's coming over to your house tonight, right? He asked you on a real honest to God date, didn't he?"

"He wants us to be close to each other because of the baby."

Elena sighed and looked at me, "Okay. You keep telling yourself that."

"Besides," I say, watching Elena take her dishes into the adjoining kitchen, "it's not like we're doing anything fancy. Just takeout and a movie. When Damon's trying to woo a girl, he goes all out. Not just takeout and time at home."

"You're not just any girl, Care," Elena says, like it's totally obvious and I'm just missing a point. "He doesn't have to be fancy for you. You guys have known each other for over twenty years. Of course he's going to feel comfortable with you. You could do anything and it'd impress him, you know."

"This is nonsense," I say to her. "Besides, that's not why I came over today. Mom called; Dad's in town. He wants me to come to dinner, and I figured I could take Damon. We've gotta tell them about the baby. I haven't told Damon about it yet, but when I mentioned telling his father, he got really weird."

"You know how his relationship is with his father," Elena says, shrugging. She's washing her dishes at the sink. "But I bet he's not afraid to tell your parents, is he?"

I shook my head, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table, taking a bite. I have been craving fresh fruit like crazy the last few days.

"He's not afraid of them. He's not really afraid of Guiseppe, _per se_ , but you know him as well as I do. He's a jackass."

Even though Elena has been with Stefan since high school, she's never cared for the way that Guiseppe treats Damon. Hell, Stefan hates it, too, but he won't stop, so we've kind of learned to deal with it. I took another bite of my apple.

There was a moment of silence as I ate my apple and Elena came back over, sitting beside me at the table, "I'm glad you're here, though. Stefan and I've decided to postpone the wedding until the baby's born."

"Have you told Guiseppe?"

She shook her head, "Haven't told anyone, really, besides you and Bonnie. Oh, and Damon, but he should know since he's Stefan's best man."

When Elena started planning her and Stefan's wedding, she decided that she'd never be able to choose a maid of honor out of Bonnie and me, so she decided that we'd both share the role as maids of honor. We had both been okay with that.

I finished the apple, getting up to throw the core in the trash. I looked at Elena for a moment before saying, "Hey, when Damon gets home, tell him I came by, yeah? I've got to go home and do a few things before tonight."

"Getting all gussied up for Damon, huh?" Elena said playfully, with a wink.

"No, nothing like that. Besides, I want to stop by the store. I really want some fresh blueberry pancakes."

"Hey," Elena said as I was leaving. I turned around to look at her. "Bonnie and I are going shopping for some baby stuff next weekend. You should come. It'd be fun."

"Elena, I'm six weeks along. It's hardly the time to start getting baby stuff."

"I was talking more about me. I just really wanna go shopping."

I shrug; I always love a good shopping trip, and Elena's got baby fever right now, so I figured why the hell not. "Sure," I say, "I'd love to go. Sounds like a lot of fun."

Elena nodded, and with that, I was out.

-x-

I was at the produce section of the grocery store, trying to figure out if I wanted mangos or pineapple more when my phone rang. I answered it when I saw it was Damon, "Hey."

"Hey, Buttercup. Elena said you stopped by."

"I did," I answer, picking up a mango to test its firmness. "Dad's gonna be in town for a couple of days and Mom wants to have dinner with us. I figured this was as best as any to tell them about the baby."

"Yeah," he answered, "When does she want to have it?"

"Well, tonight would be ideal," I say, knowing that dad would want to get back to Stephen before too long. "I know you wanted to hang out tonight, but -"

"No, tonight's fine. What time?"

"Six-ish. Don't worry about dressing up - it's just Mom and Dad."

"Buttercup," Damon says after a moment, "what are we going to tell them? Are we dating?"

"Well, seeing as we haven't been on a single date..." my voice trailed off.

"I'm going to call you my girlfriend," he says after a moment. I shake my head, even though I know damn well that he can't see me.

"No," I say. "it's one thing, tricking your dad, but you know that my parents and I have an honesty thing. I don't want to ruin that with one stupid lie."

"Caroline," Damon says. "Do...do you not want me?"

I sigh; I'm not exactly sure what to say in answer to that. I run a hand through my hair, "Look, Damon, this is all very complicated. I'm not a hundred percent sure what I'm feeling right now, or even what I want. Let me sort out my feelings and as soon as I know, you'll know."

"Okay," he said. I pick up a couple of mangos and put them in my basket as he continues, "I trust your judgment, Buttercup. You're my best friend and I always will."

I know there'a lot going on between us, a lot that is going unsaid, but I'm trying really hard to ignore that. More than anything I want things to go back to the way they were; the way that Damon and I were best friends before that night fucked everything up.

-x-

Damon showed up at my apartment around five to pick me up. Since we were just having dinner at Mom's place, considering it was early May and the weather was just getting really sunny and nice, I decided to wear a nice lime green sundress I had just bought a few weeks ago. I was just standing in front of my full length mirror, staring at myself. There were a lot of things going through my head at that moment. I mean, seriously, how could this be my life? My life was pretty mundane, all things considered, and look at what I did. I made it more confusing and complex than it needed to be.

I stood in front of my full length mirror longer than necessary, and I wasn't sure how long I had been there when Damon came in to get me.

"What's taking so long?" he asked me. He noticed the look on my face, "What's going on?"

"I can't do this," I said, looking at him intently. "I just can't. They're going to be so disappointed in me for not being safe, not to mention what Dad's probably going to do to you, and -"

Before I knew what was happening, he covered my mouth with his. The kiss was short and chaste, but I ended it. "What was that?"

"Sorry," he says, and he looks like a blushing virgin, which I know he's not. He's far from it. "I just thought it might calm you down."

I nod, my hand flying up to touch my lips, where I can still feel the ghost of his. After a moment of silence, I grab my purse that's on my nightstand and slip my shoes on. "Let's roll," I say, trying to sound confident, even though inside, I'm scared to death.

We stop at the bakery on Main Street to pick up a package of frosted sugar cookies (they're Dad's favorite, even though he really shouldn't be eating them) and then start over to Mom's house. My parents got divorced when I was younger, mostly because that's when my dad came out, but they still act like friends. It's almost like there's no bad blood there or anything, and they get along fine. It's good, though, because I'd hate the thought of my parents not getting along. Dad comes over every once in a while, and we usually have dinner. This isn't the first time I'm bringing Damon, but this _will_ be the most important.

When we pull up to Mom's house, she and Dad on the front porch, in the porch swing that's been there ever since I can remember. Mom stands up when she sees me and Damon.

"Care, hi," Mom says, pulling me close. We hug for a moment before she pulls back, "I haven't seen you in a while."

I smile weakly, "Yeah, well, I've been busy."

Damon is coming towards them, and Dad shakes his hand, "Damon," he says, "It's good to see you, Son."

"Thanks, Dad," he says, and it almost melts my heart. He hands him the package of sugar cookies.

"Are you trying to bribe me?" he asked, looking from Damon to me, and then back. "These are my favorite."

"I know," I reply, smiling. "But don't think that you're getting all those to yourself." _Ever since my pregnancy, I've been craving sweets_ , I want to say, but don't. That is not how I want to break the news to my parents.

Damon follows Dad into the house and I know what they're doing. They're going to turn on the baseball game and veg out. Mom looks at me after they leave, "Okay. Spill."

My eyes widen. Can she really tell? Deciding to play ignorant, I look at her and say, "Spill? Spill what?"

"I know something's up, Caroline. You're practically glowing. So, what happened? Did you and Damon finally stop ignoring your feelings and get together?"

I know what I said to Damon about lying to my parents, but all the sudden, I don't want them to know that Damon and I had a one night stand, so I nod, "Yeah. We're dating now."

Mom smiles a wide smile and claps her hands together, "That's great, Care. You guys have this connection that not many people have, and I want you to know that I support you not matter what. You guys are going to make a great couple."

I smile weakly, "Thanks."

"Well, dinner should be done by now. I made that chicken ranch enchilada stuff that you love."

Mom knows I'm a sucker for Mexican food, so we usually have some whenever we have dinners together. She turns to go into the house and check on dinner, and I follow her. Damon's watching the game with Dad, but I really need to talk to him, so I say, "Hey, D, can we talk for a minute? Outside?"

He nods and follows me out there. I watch him carefully, "So, I told Mom we're dating."

His eyes widen in surprise, "Really? What happened to not lying to them?"

"I just can't tell them that we slept together without dating. I can't do it, D. I mean, we basically had a one night stand, and I can't tell them that. We're here to announce the pregnancy, and I just want to make it go smoothly. So just go with this, okay?"

"You know, Buttercup," Damon says after a moment, "I'm not going to blow your cover."

I know where this is going, and part of me wants to ask him if he's ever going to tell me he's in love with me. Because, if Elena's right, then Damon has a thing for me, and I already love him - more as a friend than anything else, but maybe if we start dating, my feelings might start to change.

I nod instead of asking the question I'm dying to ask. He leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek, and I smile at him.

Dinner goes pretty smoothly. Well, it does until Mom pulls out a bottle of wine. Hey, we're all over 21, so drinking is a thing that happens, but I decline and Mom knows something's up. I'm not an alcoholic, not by a long shot, but I enjoy a glass of wine just as much as the next person.

"Something wrong, Care?" Mom asks me as she pours herself a glass. Damon also declines, which looks as weird as when I do, but Mom doesn't say anything to him. Instead, he and I are drinking Pepsi. I watch them all carefully before Damon nods his head a little discreetly so I decide that now is as good of time as any.

"Mom, Dad," I say, trying to work up my nerve. "Uh, Damon and I have something to tell you."

"They're both looking at me intently, and I take a few breaths in and out, "Uh, well, I'm pregnant."

Mom raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Dad looks at Damon, "Since when are you dating?"

"About six weeks ago," he said honestly. Well, semi-honestly. "Our first date was at Elena and Stefan's engagement party. It kind of evolved from there. But I've always had a thing for her. Don't worry, Dad, I'll take good care of her."

"This is so exciting," Mom says after a moment. "Bill, we're going to have a grandchild!"

Dad is being unnaturally silent, and part of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. After a moment I can't take it anymore, so I look at him, "Daddy?"

"Care, you're my little girl," he says finally. "It's just weird for me to think that you're going to have a child."

"Daddy, I'm twenty-four years old," I say, almost defiantly. "It's not like I'm sixteen."

"Thank God for that," I hear him mumble.

"How far along are you?" Mom asks, trying to ease the tension. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she's really excited about this.

"Six weeks," I say. After I say it, I realize that Dad's going to realize that Damon and I had sex on our "first date", but part of me really doesn't care. "I went to the doctor's yesterday. Everything's good."

I'm watching the look that Dad is giving Damon and I can't take it anymore, "Look, dinner's been great, but I really should go. Get my rest and everything."

Mom looks at her watch, "It's only eight."

"I know, but I just kinda want to go home. It was great seeing you guys."

"Caroline," Dad says, like he knows I'm leaving because of him. "Sit back down. I'm sorry, okay? I was just taken by surprise."

I make a face, but do as he asks. I sigh, taking a drink of my soda, "Look, I'm just as surprised as you guys, okay? But I'm pregnant and it's not like I can take it back. Besides, I kind of really want this baby. I always told you guys that I was going to have a lot of kids."

Things seemed to calm down a little after that. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the looks that Dad is giving Damon, but I'm trying my hardest to ignore it. Dad's right - he's my dad and he has been a little overprotective my entire life.

By ten that night, I am dead tired and Damon and I decide to leave. We say goodbye to Mom and Dad, although I can really tell that Damon and Dad have a lot of tension between the two of them. Damon drove me home and I invited him up.

"Why don't you come up?" I ask him. "I'd kind of like it if you stayed the night."

Damon made a face, although I was having trouble figuring out what he was thinking, and then said, "Sure."


	5. Chapter 5

Something was wrong. Well, okay, not exactly wrong, per se, but my relationship with Damon was turning. It was evolving, and I wasn't sure what the hell was going on. Over the next few weeks, my feelings were starting to change for him. This was really starting to freak me out, so the Saturday three weeks after having dinner with my parents, I invited Elena and Bonnie out for brunch. I was still wonderfully in the morning sickness phase (I mean, seriously? Why the hell call it morning sickness when it occurs all hours of the fucking day?) so I've been more selective of what I've been eating, and Elena's getting weird cravings - a lot weirder than I've had yet. That morning, it was red grapefruit juice (which I should add here - Elena _hates_ that stuff. She used to say it should be illegal to have) and sushi covered with chocolate syrup.

"This is going to be me in a few months, isn't it?" I lean over and whisper to Bonnie. She nods slowly, "Probably."

Elena isn't really paying attention to us, too wrapped up in her bite of sushi. She chews, moans at the taste, and then looks at me, "Hey, Care? You get any real weird cravings yet?"

We were at Elena's aunt Jenna's café. Most of the stuff on the menu is regular, but she will make strange orders (mostly for pregnant women) if asked nicely. The fact that she's Elena's aunt helps, though.

I shake my head, "No, not really. I just crave fresh fruit all the time."

"I noticed," she said, laughing, as she points to my own strawberry banana pancakes. I just shrug.

"So, what's the emergency?" Bonnie said after a bite of her oh-so-normal ham and cheese omelet. "You haven't asked us to brunch in a while. Did something happen?"

When the fiasco at my mom's house had happened, of course I called them straight away. Damon and I seemed to be having an awkward relationship at the moment. And yeah, okay, Elena had been with Stefan for almost ten years, and Bonnie had been with Jeremy five, but they were my friends - my only _real_ girl friends - and had never given me bad advice before, so I trusted them.

"Something's wrong with Damon. With me. Probably with the both of us, but I haven't had a real relationship since Matt and I broke up junior year, and I have no idea how to fix it."

"Well, what's wrong? And, by the way, while I'm on the subject, what exactly _are_ you and Damon?" Elena asked, and I could feel a famous Elena Gilbert ramble coming on, so I opened my mouth to try to stop it.

"'Lena," I said after she saw a few words that I honestly wasn't listening to, "I don't know what Damon and I are. I told my parents we were dating."

"Why on Earth would you do that?" Elena squawked. At least, that's what it sounded like.

"We had to tell them about the baby, and do you know how fucking guilty my mom would be if I said, 'Yeah, Mom, so Damon and I aren't really dating, but we slept together and are now expecting a child together.' You know she takes every little mistake I make as a testament to what kind of parent she was." As much as I love my mom, what drives me crazy is the fact that she does that. She's always been that way, and you'd think I'd get used to it. But, nope, it still drives me insane and I want to strangle her sometimes.

"Do you _want_ to date Damon?" Bonnie asked, taking a drink of her orange juice. "I mean, really?"

"I don't think so?" I said, but it came out as a question. I noticed the looks I was getting from both Bonnie and Elena, so I sighed. "Damon's been my best friend for almost twenty years, guys. What am I supposed to say? I don't know if I want a relationship with him. Going from friends to lovers isn't exactly going to be easy."

"Why not?" Elena asked. "Stefan and I were friends first."

"Yeah, I get that," I say, sighing. "And I know the best lovers were friends first. But it's just weird for me right now."

"I think you need to relax a little," Bonnie said, watching me. "I mean, remember how I felt when I fell in love with Elena's little brother? Someone we had known from the time he was born?"

"You act like you're a huge cradle robber, Bon. We're only a couple of years older than him."

"Still..." Bonnie said, her voice trailing off. "I think you should relax and let whatever happens between you and Damon just happen."

"I'm still worried, guy," I say, noticing the look I'm getting from the both of them. "C'mon, really? What happens if something happens and Damon and I break up? What happens if it fucks up our friendship? I'll not only lose my boyfriend, but I'll lose my best friend. I don't know if I can really risk that."

"Well, you need to do a lot of thinking about it, Care," Elena said after a few moments had passed. "After all, you and Damon are now connected through that child you're carrying."

-x-

At ten weeks pregnant, my libido is in overdrive. I am fucking horny at everything. For the past week, I've been hiding in my apartment, only to come out when I have to work. I don't even go to the grocery store anymore; I give mys hare of the grocery money and a list to Tyler and make him do it. I haven't seen Elena and Bonnie in a week, since our brunch date, and I've been avoiding Damon like the plague. I know that he'll notice eventually, but right now, I'm more worried about climbing him like a tree if I get too close to him. Let's face it; the guy is fucking hot. I've always known it, with him being my best friend and everything, but it's really started turning me on the past few weeks.

That Monday at work, my emotions were crazy. They were so bad, in fact, that Daphne sent me home early. "I'm sorry, Care," she had said, "but you can't work like this. The kids are worried about you, and I understand it's a part of pregnancy, but why don't you take a couple of days off? I know that this is hard, but it should get better in a few weeks."

I nod and grab my purse. It's the middle of July, so it's pretty hot and humid outside. I know that the only place I am going is home - I don't want to chance anything considering my libido, not to mention I've been hotter than hell since my pregnancy started. When I get home, however, Damon is sitting on my couch with Tyler, watching the baseball game. I groan silently before brightening up, "Hey, D," I say, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Hey, Buttercup," he said, going back to the game. I hoped that meant I was free from him, so I went into my bedroom and got out my laptop. I thought I could waste time on the internet until Damon left so I pulled up my email.

Not even five minutes had passed before there was a knock on my door. I figured it was Tyler; Damon never knocks, not ever. So imagine my surprise when I get up to answer the door and see Damon standing there.

"Caroline, we need to talk," he says, gliding past me and sitting on my bed. I take a deep sigh, trying to control myself. He looks good today, wearing a black button down shirt and black jeans. All the years that he and I have been friends, I've been trying to get him to put more colors into his wardrobe, but he refuses. His style was more simplistic, but damn if he didn't look totally amazing. I say a quick prayer to whatever deity may be listening that I don't fuck this up even more than I already have before closing the door, turning around, and looking at him.

"What's up?" I ask. He gives me a look and then says, "I know you better than that, Buttercup. I am well aware of your quirks and personality, and let's face it: you've been avoiding me."

I clear my throat and scratch and imaginary itch on my forehead before looking at him, "I, uh, am having some problems. Some female pregnancy stuff. It's not anything that you have to worry about."

He stands up, comes over to me and puts his hand on my cheek. I can feel myself start to get even more wet than I already was just from his touch. I freeze, and he notices, because he looks at me and says, "Really, Caroline? You think you can lie to me?"

I shake my head slowly, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Damon."

"You're two and half months pregnant, Buttercup." I nod. "I remember when Elena was this pregnant. She couldn't keep her hands off of Stefan. They were, uh, indisposed of most of the time. And, just because Elena overshares sometimes, I know that being pregnant, the hormanes can go up. Just answer me this one question, okay? Are you avoiding me because of that?"

I wipe a hand across my face. God, did it just get hotter in here? I didn't exactly want this to happen, but I've always told Damon the truth about everything, even when he didn't want to hear it, and I feel that Damon deserves the truth, always. I decide that right now is not an exception, so I decide to tell him the truth, "God, yes, it is, D. I'm sorry, but every time I see you, I just want to fuck you. I'm sorry, okay. I know that if we decide to start dating, we're going to need to start slow, but I can't help it. But I'm...I'm managing."

"If you need some, uh, _stress relief_ ," he said, "I'd be happy to help you out. I mean, technically, this is my fault, after all."

"I share the blame," I say after a moment. He still had his hand on my face and it's making it very difficult to concentrate, but by God, I'm trying. "Alcohol and poor judgment happened."

Without saying another word, he leaned down and captured my lips with his. They were so warm, so inviting, and it was only a few seconds before I got lost in the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and angled my head to the side so I could take control of the kiss, which Damon gladly let me have. I'd always pictured him being more controlling in bed, but that is definitely _not_ the case here. He lifted me up and carried me the few feet to the bed and dropped me down on top of it. I giggled and then he leaned down one more to kiss me. I pulled him down on top of me and he felt divine rubbing against me. He flipped us over, positioning me on top of him, and I sat up, stripping out of my t-shirt and bra. He put his hands on my breasts, but it was a little too rough and I flinched.

"You okay?" He asked me, concerned.

I nod, "Yeah. I'm just a little tender. Y'know, from the pregnancy."

"Okay. Sorry," he said, and lessened his grip on me. It still felt divine. I had been sexually frustrated for the last few weeks and this was just so satisfying, and I didn't even have the rest of my clothes off yet. He sat up and I stripped his shirt off of him, not bothering with the buttons, and this time, it was me who initiated the kiss. I ground my hips a little roughly on his cock, and he groaned. I was really aware of him hardening under my body.

"I kind of want to do this slow and sweet, taking my time," I said, in-between kisses, "but I gotta have you in me, like, three weeks ago."

I rolled the two of us over, and he busied himself unbuttoning my jeans and sliding them and my underwear down my body. He threw them behind him and said, "I know that you want this fast and hard, Buttercup, but I've been dreaming of doing this for a long time." He pushed me up a little further on the bed before kneeling on the floor and spreading my outer lips with his fingers.

The first lick on my clit wasn't expected. It wasn't expected, but felt amazing anyways. He alternated with licks on my clit and fucking me with his tongue, and I could feel my climax building slowly. When he replaced his tongue with his fingers, not even a minute went by before I could feel myself start to let go. My orgasm overtook me and I screamed my release into my fist.

He wiped his mouth and leaned up to kiss me. I could taste myself on his lips and that just made me even more aroused. He got rid of his pants and boxers, looking at me, "Condom?"

I snorted, "What for? I'm already pregnant."

He shrugged, "Just making sure."

"C'mon," I said, moving my body just a little, "come on and put that thing in me. I've wanted it for weeks."

I could've sworn that he snickered a little, but I was too far gone to care. He slid into my slowly, I'm pretty sure he was doing it for my benefit, but I didn't want that. I grabbed his neck, leaning up a little, and kissed him roughly. He jerked forward and filled me almost instantly. I moaned softly. I had been so sexually excited lately and it felt _awesome_.

"I'm not going to last long at all," I say to him, and he nods in agreement.

"Me neither," he said. He slid in and out of me roughly, just the sound of skin slapping together filled the room. I was so damn close but I just couldn't get there. When I said that to Damon, he reached in-between us and pinched my clit roughly and it was all over. He came after I did, and he slid out of me, we lay cuddled up together, his arms around me.

"Hey, D?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer to the question I was about to ask him. "When's the last time you got laid?"

"Uh, just two minutes ago? You should know, you were there."

"Smart ass," I say, but I' grinning. "No, I'm serious. Before that, when's the last time?"

The silence is killing me, but then he answers softly, "You."

For some reason the fact that he hadn't had a quick fuck in the last couple of months is making me incredibly emotional right now. I can feel the tears start to slide down my cheeks and he looks at me seriously, "You okay, Buttercup?"

"Elena's right," I say softly. "You have a thing for me."

He stiffens up a little bit and then starts to move, "I'd love to enjoy the afterglow with you, Caroline, but I've gotta work tonight. I'll see you later."

He was avoiding my statement, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get him to talk about it unless he damn well wanted to. So, sighing, I said, "Yeah, sure. I'll see you later, D."


	6. Chapter 6

Damon was avoiding me. A lot like he said he knew my quirks, I knew his. It'd been three days since we'd spoken, and lately I've been incredibly emotional and needed to know what the hell was going on. I was having a hard time controlling my emotions and getting sent home early from work seemed to be the norm these days, so on Thursday, after a session of me bawling for no apparent reason, instead of going home, I went over to the apartment that Damon, Stefan and Elena shared. Stefan had given me the key some time ago, so I let myself in, knowing that Elena would be working right now at her Aunt Jenna's café and Stefan's at class. I wanted to catch Damon by himself and I knew he'd be up by now.

I was right; Damon was sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal. I watch him carefully, not saying anything, and he sighs, setting his spoon in his cereal, "I know it's you, Caroline. I can just sense you."

"D, we need to talk," I say, coming over and sitting down beside him. "We need to talk about what happened three days ago."

"There's nothing to talk about," he said, taking another bite of his cereal. He continued to eat in silence until I finally couldn't take any more. I jumped up, "Damon Salvatore, you're a fucking chicken," I say finally. He gives me this bewildered expression, like that was the last thing he expected me to say - which, it probably was. "There's something between us, isn't there? I've never noticed it, because you've always been my best friend first, but ever since Elena said you had a thing for me, I've been thinking about it a lot. If you've got a thing for me, you need to tell me. This suffering in silence is bullshit just isn't going to work."

I can tell he's pissed, because his eyes narrow and he finally explodes, "I can't tell you that, Caroline! You know why? Because I know damn well that you don't feel the same fucking way, and I'm not going to go there with you. I've been your friend for over twenty years, and I know all about the guys you've wanted, the guys you've dated, and I just can't bring myself to be heartbroken like that. I'd never be able to get over it."

His face is so vulnerable right now, like he's been cut open and is bleeding out in front of me. Maybe he is, I'm not sure right now. He looks so fragile. Finally, I licked my lips and said softly, "Do you really feel that way, D?"

"I'm not talking about this with you, Caroline, especially with your emotions going crazy like they are. Just go home."

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Damon. We're expecting a child together, remember?"

He looks so broken right now as he points at the door and says, "Go home, Buttercup. Please, do it for me."

Finally, I sigh, nodding, and after a few steps I turn back to him for a moment, "D, you're my best friend. I love you and I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on." With that, I step out the front door and started on my way home.

-x-

The confrontation between Damon and myself took a lot out of me, and I felt really depressed over what was happening. Was I losing my best friend? It honestly wouldn't surprise me, to be honest, because this whole sleeping with him the first time was the first mistake I'd made. And the more I thought about it, the more I kind of wanted to date him.

Damon was a good guy; he'd always been one. Sure, he had a bad reputation as a ladies' man, the love 'em and leave 'em type, but I knew better than that. Damon valued family over everything, Stefan had been right about that. I knew that if Damon and I gave it a chance, he'd be faithful to both me and our kid.

Later that night, as Tyler went on a date with a girl in one of his classes, I was moping around the house. I had made myself some blueberry pancakes (with fresh blueberries, my favorite) and sat in front of the TV, watching _Die Hard_ for the hundredth time (a favorite movie that Damon and I shared, it was helping me feel close to him again). I cannot explain how surprised I was when Elena burst through my front door and said, "Care, we've got a problem. Well, _you've_ got a problem."

"Does it have anything to do with why Damon's acting so bitchy towards me?" I asked bitterly.

"It definitely has something to do with him, and you."

"What's so terrible?"

"Guiseppe found out about the baby. Your mom saw him in the grocery store and asked him how excited he was to be a grandfather. Of course, he thought she was talking about Stefan and me, but then she mentioned you. He called Damon up last night and they had this really big fight."

"I've been telling Damon that he needs to tell his father about the baby..."

"Yeah, I get it, but he was waiting for the right time. Damon's having a hard time with it. You know how Guiseppe treats him."

I ran a hand over my face, "Look, 'Lena, I know how Guiseppe treats Damon, yes. But I'm having a hard time understanding why he's being so damn bitchy to me." I pause for a moment to take a bite of the pancakes that were still on my plate. "In fact, this is your fault."

"Mine?!" Elena almost yelled. "How the hell is this my fault?"

"Calm down," I say to her. I motion for her to come over to the couch and sit down, "Your feet and back are probably killing you. You want some water or something?"

She nodded so I went into the adjoining kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water for her. As I came back, I said, "Look, Elena, I'm just super frustrated right now. Damon's being bitchy to me and I really don't know what to do about it."

"Well, Care, just tell me what happened."

I told her what happened and I remembered to include that I mentioned what Elena had said. I noticed her face change expressions and wondered what was going through her head.

"Damon does love you, Care. But you spooked him."

Of course I did. I could see it, too. Being friends with him for as long as I have, I guess I just didn't realize what I did until just now. I sighed and said, "Okay. But I...I think I want to date him, Elena, and I know he isn't ready for that."

"You deserve to be happy, Care. You need to forget about Damon for a while - he'll come around eventually. You've known him long enough to know that."

I nodded, "True."

There were a few moments of silence, with Elena and I not sure what to say to each other, and finally Elena said to me, "How about we catch a movie or something? Stefan's got a shift at the hospital and an early class tomorrow, and we both know that Damon's working right now. We should call Bonnie and see a movie or something."

"I don't really feel like going out," I say to her truthfully. "Why don't you call Bonnie and we can have a movie night here?"

Elena nods and I get up to wash my dishes like Tyler prefers. I sigh to myself, deciding to go and change into some pajamas. I pull out a pair of sleep pants and one of Damon's t-shirts and dress in them quickly. When I go back out into the living room, I see Bonnie and Elena staring at my DVD shelf.

"That was fast," I said to really no one but myself. Bonnie looked at me and grinned.

"I'm sorry I really don't have any movies that you like, 'Lena," I say to her. Elena prefers the sappy chick flick movies while I've gotten to like action and horror movies because of Damon. They finally pick _The Amazing Spider-man_ out of the pile and we put it in. We were only ten minutes into it before I fell asleep.

-x-

That Sunday, I called Elena when I first got up. Elena's an early bird and she's always up by seven. Honestly, I don't understand why she's up before she needs to be. With her job, she could make her own hours.

I know I mentioned that Elena works at Jenna's café, but that's only occasionally. Professionally, Elena's a writer. It's something that her mother, Miranda, kind of encouraged her in that direction, and after her parents died, Elena did it to be close to her mother. Right after she graduated from college, she sent a transcript into a publishing company and they signed her on. She loves what she does, and I think she should, but she's on a hiatus right now because of her pregnancy. That's when she started picking up hours at Jenna's café, because she wanted something to do before she lost her mind to boredom.

"Hello?" she answered the phone way too cheerfully. I glanced at the clock; it was only nine-thirty. I groaned.

"Good morning to you, too, Care," she said.

"I don't know how you can be so cheerful," I say to her. "But anyways, I called because I need to go shopping and I thought you'd like to go with me. Is Bonnie working today?"

"Her last case ended a couple of days ago," Elena answered. Bonnie was the most successful out of the three of us; she was a Private Investigator, but she specialized in missing persons. She was really good at finding people. "I don't think she's busy, but I'll text her and ask if she wants to go."

I nodded, even though I knew she couldn't see me, "Okay. Are you in?"

"You should know me better than that, Care," Elena said. "By the way, what are you getting?"

I sigh, "My clothes don't fit. I can't even button up my jeans. You have no idea..." my voice trailed off. I snorted, "I was going to say you have no idea how fat I feel, but I guess you really do, don't you?"

Elena laughed. Damn, she was in a good mood today. "I definitely know how that feels. So, you think you can be ready in, say, an hour?"

"Give me an hour and a half," I say to her. "Why don't you pick up Bonnie and meet me here? You can chill here while I finish getting ready."

"Sure, sounds good. I'll see you later, Care."

I started the coffee pot and gathered some clothes to take a shower. I grabbed a pair of oversized sweatpants, something I liked to hang around the house in when I didn't care how I looked as long as I was comfortable, and a t-shirt. I was going to look like a slob, but nothing else fit.

After I showered, I heard the apartment door open and Elena call out, "Hey, Care, we're here!"

I dressed quickly, having to fold my sweatpants down a couple of times because they were so big on me - and of course they were. They were a pair that I had stolen from Tyler years ago. Elena came back to the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the tub, "Hey, where's Tyler?"

"Carol wanted to spend the day with him. He doesn't spend much time with her anymore - actually, he doesn't even spend much time at home lately. Between his job and his classes, he doesn't have much free time."

Elena stayed in the bathroom and chatted with me while I French braided my hair and put on my makeup.

"Hey," I say, putting the last of my eye shadow on, "how's Damon doing these days?"

"You saw him five days ago, Care."

"Yeah, well I was just wondering," I say. I had decided to follow Elena's advice and give Damon some space. It was true that I had known him a long time, and I knew that I should give him some space.

"He's kinda down lately," Elena said, and I can tell by the look on her face that she didn't want to tell me that, but she always told me the truth. "He's still working at the Grill, but when he's not working, he locks himself in his room and drinks. Look, Care, I know that Damon's your best friend, but you really just need to give him some space right now."

I nodded and sighed as I looked myself over in the mirror one last time. "Let me grab my purse and then we can go."

It being Sunday, the stores weren't incredibly busy, but I didn't like my choices in maternity clothes. I finally got some cute dresses, a few pairs of jeans and some shirts. Elena's five months pregnant now, and I am _not_ looking forward to that, let me tell you. People stopped and a few of them asked her questions about the baby, rubbing her stomach. Elena's good natured, so I know it really didn't bother her, but I'm pretty sure it would bothered me.

I also bought a couple pair of shoes, mostly because they were on sale and would go with my new clothes. The next time I glanced at the clock, it was coming up on two. How we'd been there that long, don't even ask me. When Elena suggested we stop for lunch, I was thrilled. I know she gets hungry faster now that she's so far along, but I'd been starving for hours.

Damon was on my mind, I'm not gonna lie. He'd been on my mind for the last five days, and he was on my mind now. I know I kept zoning out while we were at lunch, but Elena was a little preoccupied moaning over her pistachio ice cream, sardines and hot fudge (seriously, what is it with the food?: She's been craving some really crazy shit). 

I thought about how broken Damon looked when he asked me to leave. I thought about the fact that he hadn't called me, seen me, or even Skyped with me since we had the argument. I just wasn't sure what I needed to do, but I knew what I wanted to do. After we finished lunch, I asked Elena to drive me home so I could grab my car. When I got there, it was after four and I knew that Damon had started his shift at three. I grabbed my car, and was incredibly nervous when I was driving, I could feel my hands start to shake. I drove up to the Grill and went inside where Damon was tending bar. The place was relatively empty. Good.

"You're not here to drink, are you?" Damon asked me. "Because I'm not serving you."

"I don't want a drink. I'm pregnant, remember?"

He nodded silently.

"Look, Damon, there's something I want to tell you, that's why I am here. I'm sorry I pushed you and I'm sorry that I didn't exactly give you the space you needed. But I need to know one thing, and after you answer me, I'll be gone, okay? I swear it."

He nods again.

"I, uh...do you want to go out with me? We could see a movie, maybe grab some dinner or something? Because, and I'm going to be honest here, if you say no, I'm going to ask someone else and you'll have missed your chance."

I saw his expression change and I saw the look in his eyes change, but what the hell was that? I wasn't exactly sure.

"Who...who do you want to go out with?" he asked me softly.

"You," I answered. "But while I was on my way over here, Matt called. He's in town for a few days and wants to have dinner and catch up. It may turn into something more." Or, at lost more, if I'm being honest. Matt had confessed to me that he missed me and wanted to get back together with me. While I'm pretty sure I wanted Damon, I told Matt I'd think about it, but maybe I'll give him a chance.

Damon nodded and then said, "Go have dinner with him, Caroline. I, um...I think it'd be good for you."

I sighed, nodding. It felt like my heart had just been torn in two. Damon didn't really want me, I should've known better than this. I mumbled my goodbye to him and then went home.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Care? You listening?"

I was out to dinner with Matt about a week and a half later. It'd been a whole week and a half since my confrontation with Damon. And, believe it or not, I missed him terribly.

I had decided to give Matt a chance since Damon didn't seem to care. And I was completely miserable.

"Sorry, Matt," I say, sighing. "I'm not all here tonight."

I picked at my salad as he gave me a thoughtful look, "Hey, it's okay. I can understand, you've got a lot going on right now."

"Yeah, maybe in my mind," I mumbled, not really to Matt, but to myself.

I can't stand the way Matt is looking at me. Everyone knows that Damon and I were close; we'd always been close. A lot of people didn't understand it; my parents, Guiseppe, Elena, Bonnie...the list goes on and on. Out of everybody in my life, though, Matt, bless his heart, was someone who didn't understand it, but he tried anyway. H 's always taken that approach and I love him for that.

"Damon likes you a lot, Care," Matt said, after swallowing a bite of his steak. "He always has."

"Then why isn't he here with me, Matt? Why did he tell me to go out with you?"

Matt sighed, taking a drink of his Mountain Dew, "Look, Care, you know Damon better than anyone else does. And when I asked you out again, I really didn't expect a date. I've been talking to Bonnie, and she's been telling me all this stuff that's been going on between you and Damon. And I get that you guys are in like with each other. You need to give Damon some time." He licked his lips absentmindedly before sighing once more. "Tell me the truth, Care; how do you feel about Damon?"

"I want to give him a chance," I say honestly. I pick up a cherry tomato and pop it into my mouth. I think about what I want to say as I chew, before deciding on, "I wanna date him, Matt, and I'm sorry if that hurts."

Matt shrugged, "Y'know, Care, I love you, I've known for a while that it's more of a friendly type of love. I mean, if you wanted to date me, I think it could grow, but you and I both know that's not what you want. I feel about you the way that I feel about Elena and Bonnie, and...I want you to be happy. That's the most important thing - I want you to be happy."

I sigh. I don't know what to say.

"Look," Matt says, calling the waiter over for the check, "I think you and Damon need to talk. And I'm gonna arrange it for you."

I give him an incredulous look. "Yeah, uh huh," I say nonchalantly. "And how are you going to do that?"

He gives me a grin and says, "Trust me. Things are going to work out, you'll see." He sighs, handing the waiter his credit card. Then he looks at me, "So, you still wanna catch that movie? As friends?"

I smile, "Yeah, sure. Lead the way."

-x-

When Matt told me he was going to arrange for Damon and I to talk, I figured it couldn't hurt to trust him. What I _didn't_ expect, however, was for him to lock me and Damon in a room together.

"What the fuck, Matt?!" I yell through the door.

"The two of you need to talk and this is the only way I could think about arranging it," he says through the door. "I'm not letting the two of you out until you sort out your differences."

I sigh; this is _not_ how I expected it to.

"What did you say to him?" Damon asks, watching me. "Did you say something to make him lock the two of us up in here together?"

I shrug, "We needed to talk. You weren't talking."

Damon sighed, "Well, we've got the time right now." He sits down on my bed and motions for me to do the same, "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Do you _not_ wanna date me?" I blurt out. When we were younger, I had a really bad habit of saying whatever I was thinking. I've gotten better about it since I've gotten older, but that just kind of slipped out by itself. I go over to the bed and sit down, like had had wanted me to, and wait patiently for his answer.

"I really don't want to have this conversation with you, Buttercup," Damon said. I sigh heavily and roll my eyes.

"Look, D," I say, scooting a little closer to him, "I know that you don't want to have this conversation right now, but Matt isn't going to let us out until we figure things out. And what worked years ago isn't going to work anymore. We're not teenagers anymore. You can't just avoid an issue until it goes away." I stop for a moment and watch him until my eyes widened, "God, D, you don't want me to go away, do you? I mean, I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore -"

"Hey, Caroline, look at me," he said, interrupting my minor freak out. I look at him, into his blue eyes, and he takes my hand and says, "I want to be with you, Buttercup. I've always loved you. It's just...you deserve better."

I know I had a confused look on my face, "How can I get better than you?"

"I'm not a great guy," he started, releasing my hand and taking a deep breath. He got up off the bed and went over to the window, gazing out of it. "I don't deserve you. You deserve someone smart, and ambitious, and who's going places. You'd be better off dating Matt or Tyler."

I laughed. When Damon looked at me like I had grown another head, I explained, "Tyler and I tried dating a long ass time ago. It didn't work out. There was no spark, no chemistry. And D, Matt and I broke up for a reason. Yeah, they're good guys, but I don't _want_ them. I want _you_."

Damon just shook his head.

I go over to the window and look him in the eyes, "D, you're a wonderful person. We grew up together. You _are_ smart and ambitious. Whatever bullshit Guiseppe has put into your head doesn't deserve to be there, okay? You were my best friend for all these years for a reason. You know that, right?"

Damon sighed, "I don't know. Father always said -"

That's when I cut him off, "I don't care _what_ Guiseppe has told you. I care about you deeply, Damon, and Guiseppe can just go suck it."

Damon's gaze softened, "Do you really feel that way?"

I take his hand, "D, you're an amazing person. You're honest, and loyal, and have stuck with me through thick and thin for a good part of twenty years. If that's not a good man, I don't know what is."

He licks his lips nervously as he looks down at me. "I'm gonna kiss you now, Caroline," he says softly. "Please tell me that it's okay."

I smile slightly, "D, it's more than okay. You better fucking kiss me."

And that's when he leaned down and captured my lips with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is kinda short, but it just felt like a good place to stop. So, I'm sorry for the shortness, but at least Damon and Caroline talked things out.

**Author's Note:**

> Come join me on [tumblr](http://gabby227.tumblr.com/).


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